Empanada dough is so versatile, the fillings are infinite when it comes to ideas for filling these mini hand pies with whatever you have either leftover from a previous dinner, fruits in the fridge, or even canned goods.
This is more of a guideline of ideas to give you on making something with sometimes just two ingredients involved, empanada dough, any kind of filling, bake, and viola, you have anything from savory to sweet.
The first time I made an empanada wasn't the traditional kind, we love Cuban sandwiches, so I dabbled in making an empanada using leftover pork tenderloin. You can find that recipe here also for Cuban Empanadas, which were also a huge hit.
Although traditional empanadas (pastelillos) are filled with chicken, beef, or pork, these little hand pies are so delicious it's the perfect addition to your collection of recipes for lovers of that little meat pie.
Whether you're looking for a quick little hot pocket meal or a simple dessert, these ideas below will "double down on your luck you have a winner" as the old saying goes.
Don't miss scrolling down the list of idea suggestions and if you would like a copy of those ideas and how to make them the printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post, hit print to avoid ads.
Step-by-Step
- prepare the filling or use a suggestion below
- make homemade empanada dough or use store-bought dough (usually found in the frozen food section of supermarkets)
- fill the dough fruit filling of choice see suggestions below (canned pie filling or fresh fruit for our Blueberry Pie recipe)
- fry, bake, or air fry see all cooking methods instructions below
To make them even easier to form, we use a little plastic empanada maker that makes these in a New York minute and so simple you can find that in our affiliate link for Empanada Makers (see our disclosure here).
Other Empanada Filling Suggestions and Mix-Ins
- chopped jalapeno peppers. refried beans, cooked rice
- black sliced olives, cooked sausage, chopped peppers, cheese
- ricotta, prosciutto, and mozzarella
- diced onions, chopped spinach, feta cheese
- all boneless: cooked sliced chicken, sliced cooked pork chops, sauteed ground beef drained, cooked ribeye, cooked sliced deli meats, any cooked leftover meats, and any kind of cheese
- an all-cheese stuffed empanada using a good melting cheese like provolone, Swiss, or another cheese you prefer (you can add chopped vegetables or meat with the cheese if preferred)
- store-bought another flavored marinated cooked pork tenderloin (there are several flavors)
- for an Italian version use mozzarella, cooked broccoli rabe, cooked sausage, and chopped pepperoni
- cooked rice and seasoned black or red beans
- shrimp, chopped garlic, shredded cheese of choice (or use another seafood chopped you prefer)
- try buffalo chicken hot sauce and cheddar (for hot wing lovers)
- chicken, ham, and Swiss for a mock cordon bleu
- deli roast beef, cheese, onions for a cheesesteak
- cooked crumbled breakfast sausage, chopped peppers and onion, grated provolone, and scrambled eggs for breakfast
- Asian mixed vegetables and cooked rice mixed with Asian or Korean-style sauce
- Reubens: shredded corned beef deli or fresh meat, swiss cheese, drained sauerkraut chopped thousand island dressing
- any canned pie filling
- any canned fruits or fresh fruits thickened with a little cornstarch
- banana and Nutella
- fresh blueberry or strawberries with the addition of cream cheese for a filling
- chopped figs with goat cheese
Cooking Methods
- Air Fried Empanadas: Spray your Air Fryer basket with nonstick spray. Add as many empanadas as will fit in a single layer. Brush with egg wash then spray the top of the dough with cooking oil. Poke two holes on top. Air fry at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until browned.
- Baked Empanadas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the empanadas on a parchment-lined or Silipat mat cookie sheet. Brush the top with egg wash then poke holes on top. Bake until golden brown around 25 to 30 minutes or until browned on top
- Note: Reheat any empanadas left over to preserve crispiness baked or in the air fryer
More Recipes We Love
Cuban Sandwiches
Panzerotti
Homemade Empanadas Dough Recipe (this is in the recipe card for Cuban Filled Empanadas)
Fresh Blueberry Pie (use this filling or another fruit for using fresh fruits instead of canned)
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Empanadas Made Easy Tips
Whether you choose to make the dough homemade for empanadas or store-bought, these little hand pies are delicious any time of the day and will put a smile on anyone's face that you make them for.
The best part besides being a dessert treat, you can also make half the dough savory and the other half dessert empanadas, either way, you're next dinner for any weeknight can be done in less than 30 minutes with hardly any prep work!
Making these ahead of time is also a great way to make a fast meal, fill with anything you like and place them on a cookie sheet, freeze them when solidly frozen, toss them into a freeze bag and cook in their frozen state.
Remember, either sweet or savory tastes the best a little warm, so reheat any of them in either the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer.
Baked Blueberry Empanadas
Yield: 12
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 26 MinTotal time: 31 Min
Little fruit-filled pies made with empanada dough and the fruit filling of your choice, today we picked blueberry pie filling.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen package of empanada dough wrappers (for homemade wrappers see recipe here)
- 1 can of blueberry pie filling
- For using fresh blueberries follow this Blueberry Pie Recipe
- egg wash ( 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water)
- granulated sugar (this goes on the top before baking after the egg wash)
- See suggestions for more combinations from sweet to savory fillings in the notes below
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or if using an air fryer preheat at 400 degrees for 5 minutes before ready to cook.
- If making the empanada (dough from scratch, this needs to be done first.
- From Empanada Dough from the supermarket (frozen) thaw in the refrigerator overnight as per instructions on the package.
- Place one on a lightly floured working surface or board and add 2 tablespoons of blueberry pie filling to the center
- Brush just a small amount of water on the edges then fold over and crimp the edges with a fork.
- Note:if using an empanada maker, fold over, press down and it will create a perfectly form edging.
- Brush the top with beaten egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 400 degrees on a prepared sheet for 30 minutes or until browned and crispy on top.
- For the Air Fryer, air fryer using the same method of preparation for around 8 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or plain slightly warm.
- For leftovers, reheat in the oven first to get the dough to crisp up again and not soggy.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
- These can be made ahead of time frozen on a cookie sheet and baked as directed above.
- Frozen can be kept in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
- See notes for other filling suggestions below.
Notes
Other Empanada Filling Suggestions and Mix-Ins
- chopped jalapeno peppers. refried beans, cooked rice
- black sliced olives, cooked sausage, chopped peppers, cheese
- ricotta, prosciutto, and mozzarella
- diced onions, chopped spinach, feta cheese
- all boneless: cooked sliced chicken, sliced cooked pork chops, sauteed ground beef drained, cooked ribeye, cooked sliced deli meats, any cooked leftover meats, and any kind of cheese
- an all-cheese stuffed empanada using a good melting cheese like provolone, Swiss, or another cheese you prefer (you can add chopped vegetables or meat with the cheese if preferred)
- store-bought another flavored marinated cooked pork tenderloin (there are several flavors)
- for an Italian version use mozzarella, cooked broccoli rabe, cooked sausage, and chopped pepperoni
- cooked rice and seasoned black or red beans
- shrimp, chopped garlic, shredded cheese of choice (or use another seafood chopped you prefer)
- try buffalo chicken hot sauce and cheddar (for hot wing lovers)
- chicken, ham, and Swiss for a mock cordon bleu
- deli roast beef, cheese, onions for a cheesesteak
- cooked crumbled breakfast sausage, chopped peppers and onion, grated provolone, and scrambled eggs for breakfast
- Asian mixed vegetables and cooked rice mixed with Asian or Korean-style sauce
- Reubens: shredded corned beef deli or fresh meat, swiss cheese, drained sauerkraut chopped thousand island dressing
- any canned pie filling
- any canned fruits or fresh fruits thickened with a little cornstarch
- banana and Nutella
- fresh blueberry or strawberries with the addition of cream cheese for a filling
- chopped figs with goat cheese
Cooking Methods
- Air Fried Empanadas: Spray your Air Fryer basket with nonstick spray. Add as many empanadas as will fit in a single layer. Brush with egg wash then spray the top of the dough with cooking oil. Poke two holes on top. Air fry at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until browned.
- Baked Empanadas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the empanadas on a parchment-lined or Silipat mat cookie sheet. Brush the top with egg wash then poke holes on top. Bake until golden brown around 25 to 30 minutes or until browned on top
- Note: Reheat any empanadas left over to preserve crispiness baked or in the air fryer
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Try Some Other Of Our Favorite Recipes
Grilled Chicago Pizza
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Stromboli
